What is the Employment Assistance Fund?

The Employment Assistance Fund (EAF) provides reimbursements to an Applicant for workplace modifications, equipment and services necessary for a person with disability to perform their employment duties. The EAF can help people whether they are working, about to start work, or self-employed.

What can you use the EAF for?

The EAF can fund changes related to workplaces, equipment and support services. This includes covering the cost of things like:

Building modifications – such as automatic doors, lighting changes and ramps
changes to work vehicles
special equipment – including braille printers, joysticks or mouse alternatives and headsets
assistive technology and communication devices – such as a hearing loop system, touch screen, or screen reading software
Auslan interpreting services

More details are at What the EAF can cover.

Who can use the EAF?

The EAF is to support eligible people with disability who are working, about to start work, or self-employed. Find out more at Who is eligible for the EAF.

To use the EAF you need to apply. You can apply if you’re:

an employer
an employee
self-employed
a job seeker
a service provider.

Read more about the application process at Applying for the EAF.

The application process

You apply for the EAF online through JobAccess Secure.

To fill in the online form, you’ll need a few details about:

the business and employer
the employee’s start date
the equipment, changes or services you need, including the cost if you know it.

Step 1

You put in an application for the EAF.

Step 2

JobAccess assesses the application. This can take up to 10 working days.

Step 3

JobAccess lets you know if the application will go ahead and if you need a workplace assessment. If you do, JobAccess will arrange it for you for free.

Step 4

After you get approval, you buy the items and services.

Step 5

JobAccess pays back the costs.

You can find more details about the process and the information you need to apply at Applying for the EAF.

You can also download our step-by-step instructions for filling out the form in JobAccess Secure.

Getting a workplace assessment

You can get a free workplace assessment through the EAF to help work out what changes or equipment will best support the employee. This is called a Workplace Modification Assessment.

You usually need an assessment if you apply for more than $1,000 of funding through the EAF.

Read more about getting a workplace assessment.

Useful Downloads

Employment Assistance Fund Guidelines

Last updated: 16 January 2025

What is the Employment Assistance Fund?

You can get support to make changes to the place where you work to help you do your job.

This support can cover the cost of:

equipment
services.

You might also get help with finding a job.

On this page:

What is the Employment Assistance Fund?
Who can use the EAF?
What can the EAF cover?
How to apply
Getting a workplace check

What is the Employment Assistance Fund?

You might need support to:

find a job
do your job.

You can get support through the The EAF can cover the cost of supports and services so people with disability can do their job and get help with finding a job.

The EAF can cover the cost of A reasonable adjustment is when you ask to change something because of your disability. if you need them.

It can cover the cost of:

equipment
services.

Who can use the EAF?

The EAF can support you if you’re a person with disability.

You must be:

looking for work
already working
working for yourself.

The EAF can support An employer hires people to work for them. to change the place where they work to help their staff members with disability do their job.

You can apply for the EAF if you’re:

a person with disability
an employer of a person with disability
a Service providers support people with disability by delivering a service.

A person with disability can also ask someone else to apply for them.

This could be a:

friend
family member
An advocate is a person who supports you, helps you have your say and gives you information and advice.

You can find out more on our page about who can use the EAF.

What can the EAF cover?

The EAF can cover the cost of things in your A workplace is any place you might work, such as an office, factory or shop.

This includes:

equipment
supports.

It can cover the cost of building changes and equipment.

For example:

automatic doors
ramps
Assistive technology is an aid or piece of equipment that supports you to work.

It can cover the cost to support you to learn how to use:

new parts of the building where you work
equipment.

It can also cover the cost of an An Auslan interpreter is someone who uses Auslan to help you understand what someone says.

It can cover the cost of services to support people with:

learning conditions
mental health conditions.

It can also cover the cost of other staff to learn about disability.

You can find out more on our page about what the EAF can cover.

How to apply

You need to log in to the JobAccess website to apply for the EAF.

You can log in on our JobAccess Secure page.

To fill out the form, you’ll need some details about:

the business and employer
when you started working there
what you want the EAF to cover, including how much it might cost.

After you apply, our staff will check the form.

We will let you know if you can get support through the EAF.

Or if you need to get a free workplace check first.

It can take up to 10 working days for us to check your form.

If we say you can get support through the EAF, you must buy the:

items
services.

We’ll pay you back after you buy it.

You can find out more on our page about applying for the Employment Assistance Fund.

You can use the JobAccess website to download our step-by-step guide for filling out the form.

You can log in on our JobAccess Secure page.

Getting a workplace check

You can get a free workplace check through the EAF.

This will help us work out what supports you need in your workplace.

We sometimes call this a Workplace Modification Assessment.

You’ll probably need a workplace check if you apply for more than $1,000 from the EAF.

We might say you don’t need a workplace check.

For example, if:

your Disability Employment Services (DES) helps people with disability find and keep jobs. DES providers deliver services to help people with disability do this. applied to the EAF for you

and

you need less than $10,000 from the EAF to get ready for work.

You can find out more on our page about getting a workplace assessment.

Other pages that might help you

Who is eligible for the Employment Assistance Fund?

Applying for the Employment Assistance Fund

What the Employment Assistance Fund can pay for

What is the Employment Assistance Fund?

What can you use the EAF for?

Who can use the EAF?